


The Bachelor

by agreytracksuit



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Modern AU, the bachelor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-15 00:46:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4586598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agreytracksuit/pseuds/agreytracksuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven convinces Clarke to audition for the Bachelor as her secret wingman on the show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I already told you, I'm not doing it," Clarke said firmly, trying to write her final Art History essay for the semester while Raven fluttered around her, playing with everything she found in Clarke's dorm room, keeping her distracted.

            "Come on Clarke, it'll be fun!" Raven urged. "You haven't dated anyone since Lexa and really, what harm can it do? You can cause some drama and hit on all of the girls without even the intention of getting with the Bachelor."

            Clarke rolled her eyes. She'd already had this conversation plenty of times and there was no way she was going to humiliate herself on national television. "Raven, I really need to get this essay done," she replied, knowing Raven wasn't going to give up that easily.

            "You might not even get on the show, it's just an application," Raven continued. She picked up a picture of the man who had been dubbed "the Bachelor" this year and held it in front of her face. "Hey, I’m Bellamy. What’s your name?” she said in a deep, seductive voice.

“Stop it, you’re not helping,” Clarke laughed. Raven sighed and popped her head up over the photo.

“Look at this face,” she practically begged. “You could marry this guy, and all it takes is one tiny application."

            Clarke had to admit, the guy was hot. He was well built, dark-skinned with an incredible smile. She sighed.

            “Why do you want me to apply so bad when you want him for yourself? What if I end up liking him?” Clarke pointed out. Raven scoffed.

            “Please, like that’s going to happen,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I just want you to help me suss the other girls out, maybe knock out the competish. Plus I don’t really want to do this alone.”

            Clarke smirked. “You’re scared he won’t like you!”

            “Shut up!” Raven snapped. “I am not! I just have a very hard time trusting people after what happened with Finn and that makes it difficult to get close to anyone so…” she trailed off. Clarke looked at her sympathetically.

            "Okay,” she agreed. “I'm not doing this because I want to marry him, I'm doing it because it'll be fun to stir up some drama with the girls who take this too seriously. And because apparently you need a wingman on a reality TV show."

            Raven’s eyes lit up. "Yay!" she squealed. "Okay, first we have to make an audition video." She rummaged through her duffel bag and pulled out a video camera.

            "Right now?" Clarke groaned. "I'm not even dressed! They aren't going to cast someone who looks like trash."

            "It's you in your natural habitat! Besides, I thought you didn't care if you got on the show or not," Raven reminded her with a smirk. Clarke rolled her eyes.

            "What am I even supposed to say in this? Can I look at yours?" she begged.

            "Nope!" Raven laughed. "Just say something interesting about yourself then tell them why you want to be on the show. Except not the real reason because I don't think they'd go for that. Make up something mushy about finding true love."

            "I don't really expect to find true love when there's, what, twenty girls fighting for the same guy? Who came up with this show?" Clarke wondered sceptically.

            "Hey," Raven said, giving her a mock meaningful look. "One lucky girl always finds true love."

* * *

 

            Clarke had to admit that the application process was actually pretty fun. It was basically just filling out a bunch of questions about herself and her experiences, although not nearly as boring as the questions she'd had to answer in her college applications. For some questions she had made things up (such as: "What's the craziest thing you've ever done?", since Clarke has always been someone who played by the rules) but for the most part it was like going through the getting to know you stage of a relationship with a computer, which Clarke thought was much easier than doing it with an actual human being.

            She felt like some of her answers were way too boring, and if the show was going to pick one out of her and Raven, they'd definitely go with Raven. She was always so carefree and a real party animal. It didn't bother Clarke, Raven was the one who wanted to be on the show and she was only applying to humour Raven.

            “Okay, I’m all done,” Clarke announced when she’d finished all of the questions. She hovered her fingers over her laptop mouse, quickly reading back over some of her answers before clicking submit. “It’s done. I’ve sent it. No taking it back now.”

            “Hell yeah! I’m so proud!” Raven called enthusiastically from her position on the floor. She had her legs straight up in the air and was playing with a pair of 1kg weights she’d found in Clarke’s cupboard.

            “Now what?” Clarke asked, looking at her laptop expectantly, as if they were going to immediately email her telling her whether or not she was in.

            “Now we wait,” Raven replied. “Don’t tell me after all of that complaining you’re actually excited about this?”

            “What? No!” Clarke scoffed. But the truth was she was kind of excited. It’s not like she was expecting to get on the show when so many women who actually wanted to be there were applying. So when she got a call weeks later saying that she’d made it into the top one hundred applicants who would be interviewed, it was fair to say she was surprised.

            Then a week after her interview, she was even more surprised to hear that she was one of the nineteen girls who would be competing for Bellamy Blake’s affections on national television. She was less surprised to hear that Raven was too.

* * *

 

            “Isn’t this so exciting?” Raven said, squeezing Clarke’s hand as they were driven to the mansion where they were going to be living until the Bachelor told them they didn’t receive a rose and had to leave. They’d spent two hours in hair and make-up being poked and prodded until they looked almost unrecognisable. Clarke thought it was kind of pointless when she never wore this much make up and it wasn’t a very realistic first impression.

            “I’m nervous,” she told Raven as they pulled up at the door where they had been instructed to walk through the front garden and meet Bellamy at the door. Clarke let Raven go first, since she’d already planned exactly what she was going to say to Bellamy, and Clarke was just going to wing it.

            “Wish me luck!” Raven said in a sing-song voice. She didn’t wait for Clarke’s reply before floating off down the brick path. She disappeared behind some tall hedges and Clarke waited for what seemed like forever before being told it was her turn to meet the Bachelor.

            She took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. She could hardly walk in the six inch designer heels that had been loaned to her for the night and she wondered if this was really the best way to meet Raven’s potential future husband. Maybe her complete clumsiness would be enough to steer him in the right direction.

            Clarke finally saw Bellamy at the door of the mansion and she breathed a sigh of relief knowing the nightmare of walking in heels was almost over and she could sit down again. He smiled politely as he saw her approaching and she smiled nervously in return. Unfortunately the quick exchange was too much of a distraction for Clarke and just as she reached him her heel got caught in the cracks between the bricks and she tripped. She would have fallen flat on her face had Bellamy not quickly reached out his arms to catch her.

            “Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her up and holding her tightly, a little too close for Clarke’s comfort seeing as they’d only just met.

            “I’m great, thanks,” Clarke laughed, pulling her heel out of the crack and brushing herself off. “That was an accident by the way, not some weird way of getting you to hold me the first time we met. I’m not that desperate. I mean I did come on this show so I guess by definition that makes me a little desperate…” Her eyes widened as she realised that might be offensive. “Not that you’re desperate, I just mean… I’m babbling, sorry. I’m Clarke by the way.” She held out her hand and Bellamy shook it, chuckling at her.

            “Nice to meet you, I’m Bellamy,” he told her.

            “I know,” Clarke said. “I’m going to go now before I embarrass myself further. So, see you later I guess.” She gave him a dorky wave before limping off into the mansion, shaking her head in embarrassment.

            When she got inside Clarke found that there were twelve girls already sitting around drinking and talking. They greeted her warmly when they noticed her entering and Clarke knew it was going to be hard to be the ultimate wing woman to Raven when they were all so gorgeous.

            “How did it go?” Raven asked eagerly, while the other girls listened intently.

            “My heel got caught in the bricks and I tripped,” she replied, trying to sound excited so that they would think she actually wanted to be there. “So he had to catch me and it was just like, an instant connection.” The rest of the girls seemed to believe her since they immediately started gossiping loudly about how they’d all shared a moment with Bellamy. Clarke limped over to Raven and took a seat on the couch next to her.

            “You do realise you’re going to have to spin that crap for the rest of the time you’re here, right?” Raven muttered in the hopes that the microphones wouldn’t pick up what she was saying. Clarke figure they’d be focused on the overly boisterous girls anyway, so they didn’t really have to worry.

            “Good thing I’m a great liar,” Clarke whispered back. “But you’d better make a move quick, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to handle it.”

            “The first night’s always the worst,” Raven informed her. “After that I’m sure you’ll really get along with the other girls.”

            When the final girl had made her entrance, the host of the show, Cage Wallace, walked into the room and asked for silence.

            “Welcome ladies to your first Bachelor cocktail party!” he announced. The girls cheered excitedly and Clarke joined in as if she cared. “In a few moments, your Bachelor, Bellamy will walk through these doors and the party will really begin. But before that happens, let me remind you of what tonight is about.” Cage continued on about how one lucky lady would find true love and what the roses represented. Clarke zoned out while he made his usual first-episode speech, until finally Bellamy walked in.

            “Good luck tonight, ladies,” Cage finished. The girls applauded and Cage left them alone with Bellamy.

            “So what have you all been talking about?” Bellamy asked. Clarke rolled her eyes at the forced conversation.

            “You of course!” a girl named Roma giggled. Clarke could already tell she was the girl they’d cast for all of their drama needs, and no doubt the producers were going to force Bellamy to keep her in until it got down to the girls he actually really liked.

            “Do you want me to leave so you can continue?” he wondered jokingly. The other girls laughed and started to disperse so it was easier for him to take them away for one on one conversation. He started with a girl Clarke hadn’t introduced herself to yet, so Clarke decided to get up and get herself another drink. That was until she collapsed back into her seat from the pain of putting her weight on what she realised was a sprained ankle.

            “Are you okay?” Raven asked in concern. Clarke nodded but the pain on her face didn’t have Raven convinced. “Stay here, I’ll see if I can get you some ice.”

            “Here, you should keep it elevated,” one of the other girls said, lifting Clarke’s ankle onto the coffee table and putting a cushion under it. “I’m Maya by the way.”

            “Clarke,” Clarke introduced. “Thanks, that’s a bit better.”

            “That’s rotten luck getting injured on the first night!” Harper said, not sounding like it was that rotten at all.

            “If you ask me it’ll make for a great talking point,” Anya countered. “It’ll bring up other injuries and he’ll be sympathetic which will only bring you closer together. You got lucky.”

            Clarke furrowed her brow. “Gee… thanks,” she said sarcastically. “It wasn’t really my plan to fall over and sprain my ankle, but when you put it like that.”

            “Anya’s right,” Maya agreed. “It may have been an accident, but you’ll definitely get a rose tonight even if it’s just out of sympathy.”

            Clarke was thankful when Raven returned with a bag of frozen peas. “This is all they had,” she told her apologetically, putting the bag over Clarke’s ankle.

“That’s okay, it works just fine,” Clarke said thankfully.

“I really need to think of something that will grab his attention,” Roma announced, entering the room again. Clarke and Raven shared a look of agony. “Do you think he would be interested if I started doing gymnastics on the grass outside?”

“In that dress?” Anya asked dubiously.

“I’m not really concerned about showing my underwear. It’s practically the same as wearing a leotard,” Roma said. “So do you think I should do it?”

“Do what you want, Roma,” Harper told her, leaving the room. The other girls minus Roma followed her outside and Bellamy came in, looking around.

            “Just the person I was looking for!” he said to Clarke. Clarke looked up at him in surprise. He’d only spoken to about three of the others and she didn’t think she’d made that much of an impression on him, since their conversation was so short. Roma seemed just as shocked as she was, though probably for different reasons. “Would you want to come have a conversation with me?”

            “That depends, are you willing to carry me?” Clarke asked. Bellamy looked down at her ankle propped up on the coffee table.

            “Oh,” he said. “I’m sure these lovely ladies wouldn’t mind giving us some alone time?”

            “Sure thi-,” Raven started.

            “You know, it’s such a nice night outside,” Roma interrupted. “It’s a much nicer setting for your first conversation. I can help you carry her if you’d like?”

            Clarke smirked. “You know what? She’s right,” she said. “But I’m sure I can manage a hobble if I can lean on you?” Clarke batted her eyes flirtatiously.

            “Yeah, sure,” Bellamy agreed. He grabbed Clarke around the waist and she put her arms around his neck as he helped her off the couch. Clarke winked at Roma whose mouth was open in pure horror. Raven gave Roma a smug smile as Clarke hopped outside with Bellamy, her arm around his shoulders and his around her waist.

            “I can’t help but feel partially responsible for your injury,” Bellamy said apologetically as they sat on a fancy bench that was placed under a lattice with fairy lights and roses woven through it. It was quite romantic, Clarke had to admit.

            “Partially? I think you mean wholly,” Clarke joked, looking down at her bruised and swollen ankle. “If I’d been looking where I was going instead of looking at you, this would never have happened.”

            “So my incredible good looks are to blame?” he teased.

            “Incredible good looks? Your modesty is inspiring,” Clarke said. Bellamy chuckled.

            “So is it safe to say you don’t often wear heels?” he asked.

            “I was studying medicine, I didn’t really have time to go to fancy parties or go shopping to buy the shoes I would wear there,” Clarke replied.

            “You study medicine? I feel like clumsiness isn’t really a desired trait for a doctor,” Bellamy said, and Clarke wasn’t quite sure if he was still teasing.

            “Maybe that’s why I changed to Art History,” she told him, a little offended. She figured he probably didn’t mean to offend, so she brushed it off. “What about you? What do you do for a living?”

            “I’m a police officer,” Bellamy informed her, quite proudly.

            “Do you go out on the field very often?” Clarke asked.

            “I used to a lot more, but I’ve tried to stay in the office more recently,” Bellamy said.

            “Because you wanted to find love?” Clarke guessed.

            “It was more to do with the fact that one of my own teammates shot me accidentally during out last drug bust,” Bellamy told her. Clarke covered her mouth as she burst out laughing.

            “I’m sorry, that’s really terrible,” she said. “Is that when you realised your life was empty and you needed someone to fill the void, so the Bachelor was the best place for that?”

            “Something like that,” Bellamy nodded with a smile. “Hey, can you wait here for a moment?”

            “If you leave without me I can’t exactly go anywhere,” Clarke reminded him, pointing at her ankle.

            “Right… I’ll be right back.” He hurried into the mansion and when he returned he was holding a rose.

            “Oh my god, no,” Clarke muttered under her breath. She plastered a smile on her face as Bellamy drew close.

            “Clarke, will you accept this rose?” he asked, holding his breath. Clarke thought it was cute how nervous he was.

            “Yes, thank you.” She accepted the rose and Bellamy bent down to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He helped her hobble back inside where several girls were waiting for her, including Roma. Bellamy stole Maya away for their one on one and Roma immediately started ripping into Clarke.

            “You’d better enjoy that rose for now because you won’t be holding one for long when he finds out what a backstabber you are,” she snapped.

            “Excuse me?” Clarke demanded. She had no idea what was going on.

            “You know what I’m talking about.” She turned to face the rest of the girls. “I just want to draw attention to the fact that this girl stole my one on one time away from me with the sneakiest tactics I’ve ever seen.”

            “Oh please that is so no what happened!” Raven argued.

            “Excuse me? I think I would know. I was there,” Roma said condescendingly.

            “So was I and you’re exaggerating,” Raven growled.

            “Really? Because how I remember it is Bellamy came to talk to me and Clarke bitched and moaned about her ankle until he gave in and took her for one on one instead of me,” Roma said.

            “If I was really that annoying do you think I’d be holding a rose right now?” Clarke pointed out. Roma scoffed.

            “Whatever, he just felt sorry for you. I was just doing everyone a favour by letting them know your true colours. I’m trying to be the bigger person here,” she told Clarke. Clarke just rolled her eyes. There was no point in arguing with this girl, she was clearly insane.

            “On another note, how is everyone’s night going?” Raven asked, desperate to change the subject. The rest of the women were happy to oblige.

* * *

 

            The night finally drew to a close and all nineteen women were standing in front of Bellamy and Cage, nervously waiting for their names to be called.

            “Now comes the part you’ve all been waiting for. The first rose ceremony,” Cage addressed them. “As you can see, Clarke has already been given the first rose of the season, which means sixteen of the rest of you will be joining her in the mansion and are safe for the next week. As for two of you, it will unfortunately be time to say goodbye. Bellamy, it’s time to give out the rest of the roses.”

            “Anya,” Bellamy began. Anya walked toward him with a smile on her face and accepted her rose. “Harper.”

            Bellamy called out the names of twelve more girls who happily accepted their roses and joined Clarke to the left of the remaining bachelorettes. Raven gave Clarke a terrified glance. There were only two more roses and there were four girls left, including Raven and Roma. Clarke prayed that even if Raven didn’t get a rose, though she was sure she would, that Roma wouldn’t either.

            “Raven,” Bellamy called. Raven breathed a sigh of relief. She accepted her rose and gave Bellamy a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

            “Thank you,” she whispered, before taking her place in front of Clarke, who squeezed her shoulder in congratulations. Everyone waited with baited breath for the last rose to be given, and she knew that many of the other contestants wanted Roma gone as well.

            “Roma,” Bellamy announced. It took everything Clarke had not to groan out loud as Roma skipped up and happily accepted her rose. Clarke didn’t really know the other two girls, but she was sorry they couldn’t stay on when she knew they really wanted to be there and she didn’t. Although she was starting to think that even if Raven didn’t get what she wanted, both of them would come out of the experience with some great friends and a good story to tell.

            Cage apologised to the two girls who were going home, and after they’d said their goodbyes, everyone went up to their rooms. It was late, and they had a big week ahead of them.


	2. Chapter 2

            Clarke found it easier to settle into the house than she thought she would. The first night she forgot where she was and woke up in the middle of the night slightly panicked, but after that she slept like baby. The queen sized bed made it easier.

            Most of the other girls were incredibly lovely, and the only person Clarke had any real conflict with was Roma, but Roma had conflict with everyone. She was the kind of person who just had to have drama constantly present. Never was there allowed to be a dull moment.

            A few days after the first cocktail party, the girls had all settled in and it was time to find out who would be going on the first date. They had all gathered in the kitchen to wait for Cage to enter with news they were all desperate to hear.

            He sauntered into the kitchen, envelope in hands and the girls all cheered.

            “On this card is the names of the ladies Bellamy would like to take on his very first date,” Cage announced. “I’m going to leave it on this table…” He slid the card onto the dining room table. “And leave you to it.”

            As soon as he’d left, three girls pounced on the envelope, but Fox was the one who emerged victorious. Everyone waited impatiently as she opened the envelope slowly, teasing them all.

            “Who do you think it will be?” she asked, still fiddling with the tab.

            “Clarke got the first rose so probably her,” Harper said. Clarke was crossing her fingers that it wouldn’t be. He seemed like a nice enough guy but that’s not what she was there for.

            “Honestly I think it will be some of the girls he didn’t get to spend much time with,” Clarke countered, but it was more her being hopeful than a speculation. Raven hadn’t been particularly thrilled at the fact that Clarke had gotten the first rose and she’d been one of the last ones, and Clarke didn’t really want to cause any more tension between them.

            “Please, they _never_ do that,” Anya scoffed. Finally Fox pulled out the card and cleared her throat.

            “It says: ‘Reach for the stars,’” she read, then paused for the appropriate reactions.

            “Does that mean it’s going to happen at night?” Roma asked.

            “Or maybe a Hollywood theme!” Maya said excitedly.

            “Okay,” Fox continued, looking at the card. “This is a pretty long list so get ready. The girls going on the first date with Bellamy are; Monroe, Anya, Raven…”

            Everyone clapped as each name was read out, and Clarke gave an especially big cheer for Raven who looked thrilled to be going on the first date. Fox read out ten names before she finally got to the last one.

            “And of course, Clarke,” she finished. “Congratulations everyone!” The congratulations seemed sincere, too. Clarke could tell she was going to like Fox. She wasn’t catty like Roma and she seemed genuinely thrilled for the other girls who were going on the group date. Clarke was happy just to spend the day away from Roma.

* * *

 

            They arrived to the date in a limousine, and none of them were quite sure what exactly they would be doing as they walked over to Cage and stood before him in an orderly fashion, as the producers had forced them to rehearse several times. Standing with Cage was a woman Clarke didn’t recognise, but from the excited chatter obviously some of the girls did.

            “Good afternoon ladies, are you ready for your first date with Bellamy?” he asked. They all replied with enthusiasm. “Good. Today’s date will be a photo shoot based on classic movies. Anya and Harper, you’re going to be Bond girls!”

            Anya and Harper looked at each other excitedly before Cage continued.

            “Clarke, Maya and Monroe will be portraying a scene in the style of the Great Gatsby.”

            Clarke had never seen the movie or read the book but she knew that it was set in the twenties, so at least the costumes wouldn’t be too revealing. She exchanged excited glances with Maya and Monroe despite the fact that she couldn’t care less about the photo shoot.

            “Echo, Mel, Emori, Trina and Celeste, you will all be in Dirty Dancing,” Cage went on. “And Raven, you’ll be doing the pottery scene from Ghost!”

            Raven grinned at Clarke who gave her a thumbs up. This would be the perfect time for Raven to swoop in and make her move.

            “Go get into your costumes and make up, Anya and Harper you’re up first,” Cage told them. They all hurried into the studio where their costumes were waiting for them.

            “I can’t believe Raven’s luck,” Maya said as her hair was curled into a cute 20’s style. “One on one time with Bellamy, plus that scene in ‘Ghost’ is the most intimate and romantic scene, probably ever.”

            “Because nothing says romance quite like being frosted in clay,” Clarke said sarcastically. Maya laughed.

            “It’s supposed to be playful,” she explained. “But I guess you’re right, Raven will have to have a much longer shower than us after today.”

            “I’m kind of confused why he put me in Gatsby,” Monroe piped up. “Fancy dresses aren’t really my thing…”

            “Out of all of the scenes today, I wouldn’t say there was much for you,” Clarke pointed out. Monroe sighed and nodded.

            “You’re right. It would’ve been cool to do a superhero shoot though,” she said enthusiastically. “I could’ve been Harley Quinn and he could’ve been the Joker.”

            Clarke and Maya laughed. “That definitely would’ve been more your scene,” Maya agreed.

            Clarke, Maya and Monroe were up right after Anya and Harper, and as they walked down to the lawn where they would be shooting, Bellamy’s eyes seemed to light up. Either he was an incredibly good actor or he was actually excited to see them. Clarke figured it must be the former, since he’d only known these girls for a couple of days and couldn’t possibly be happy to see them.

            “Okay, for this shoot we’ll have Maya and Monroe stand together over here…” the director said, moving them around. “And Bellamy can sit on this chair with Clarke draped over him.”

            Clarke’s eyes widened in alarm. “Draped? Like a curtain?” Aside from the obvious sexism of being compared to an object, she was worried about being so close to the guy who already liked her more than he should.

            “Don’t think of it like you’re a curtain,” the director tried to reason. “Think of it like you really want to be close to this man. Which I’m assuming you do so he’ll give you a rose.”

            Everyone laughed and Clarke forced a chuckle, realising she would have to do it if she was going to stay and help Raven. _It’s all for Raven,_ Clarke told herself as she put one arm around Bellamy’s shoulder and the other limp over his chest.

            “I hope this isn’t too close for comfort,” Clarke whispered to Bellamy. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest under her hand as he breathed and she could feel her own heart racing. From the nerves, she could only assume.

            “I’m okay, but I’m sorry if you’re a little uncomfortable,” Bellamy apologised. “I can ask the director to…”

            “It’s fine,” Clarke interrupted. “You can make it up to me sometime.”

            Bellamy smirked and Clarke couldn’t help but smile a little herself. “You know, I was wondering…” Bellamy began.

            “Stop talking!” The director scolded them. “You’re ruining the shot.”

            “Looks like you’ll have to keep wondering a while longer,” Clarke whispered.

            After what felt like hours, the shoot was finally over and the girls headed back inside while the waited for the ‘Dirty Dancing’ shoot to commence. Clarke spotted Raven sitting on a couch by herself in her white robe.

            “What are you doing? Aren’t you going to watch the next shoot?” Clarke asked.

            “Clarke, tell me honestly,” Raven said, ignoring her question. “Do you think coming here was a mistake?”

            Clarke was taken aback. “Are you kidding? You’ve been going on about this show for weeks and now you just want to quit?” Clarke demanded.

            “I didn’t say that,” Raven sighed. “I’m just wondering… There’s only a one in nineteen chance of actually ending up with Bellamy and in the time that we’re here I could’ve been meeting someone who I know will actually like me.”

            “Raven, listen to me,” Clarke said, taking Raven by the shoulders and forcing her to face her. “First of all, it’s one in seventeen because two girls are already gone. Secondly, you don’t think all of these girls have the same insecurities? There are seventeen girls and only one guy. The only way more than one person ends up happy is if some of the girls find happiness with each other. It’s a risk that I am so proud of you for taking. Plus you’ll get at least an hour alone with him in your shoot. Wearing hardly any clothes…” She winked at Raven suggestively and Raven laughed.

            “You’re right. I have nothing to worry about,” she agreed.

            “Okay can you just have that whole conversation again so we can film it?” A sandy-haired cameraman asked them. Clarke rolled her eyes and left the room, but Raven just shrugged at him apologetically.

* * *

 

            It was finally Raven’s turn to do her photo shoot, and most of the girls refused to watch, probably because they were jealous, but Clarke made sure she had a front row seat to the intimate event.

            Clarke had never seen ‘Ghost’ before so she was kind of surprised just how close they were. Raven was literally right in Bellamy’s lap, his arms around her as they moulded the clay.

            “I’m terrible at this kind of thing,” Raven laughed, the clay going everywhere including her’s and Bellamy’s faces.

            “Okay just move in a little closer,” the director told them. Clarke wondered how that was possible but they seemed to find a way. “Now give her a kiss on the forehead.”

            Bellamy did as he was told. “Only on the head? Come on, plant one on my neck,” Raven said. Again, Bellamy did as he was told and this time Clarke had to turn away. She didn’t know why it made her so uncomfortable, she’d seen Raven kiss guys loads of times when they used to go to clubs together.

            She sighed and headed back to the main room where the rest of the girls were.

            “I just don’t know why you would want to watch someone getting close to the guy we’re all trying to get,” Harper was saying. “Wouldn’t you get jealous?”

            Clarke rolled her eyes and headed outside to be by herself.

* * *

 

            The next night was the cocktail party, and the girls all stood around gossiping about who was going to get a rose. Fox had been on a single date with Bellamy that day and had already gotten one, so she was the only girl not worrying at all.

            “Do we have to do this every week?” Clarke asked Raven. “It’s only the second cocktail party and I’m already over it.”

            “Come on, it’s fun!” Raven replied encouragingly. “Except for the fact that there’s only one guy to flirt with.”

            “Let’s go get a drink,” Clarke suggested. Just as she turned to go inside, Bellamy touched her on the shoulder.

            “Hey, can I steal you away?” he asked. Clarke looked at Raven who nodded in approval.

            “Sure,” Clarke agreed. They walked towards the same bench they had their first one-on-one conversation on and sat down.

            “I’m glad to see your ankle healed,” Bellamy noticed.

            “No thanks to you,” Clarke teased. Bellamy laughed.

            “I’m still very sorry for distracting you,” he apologised. “And then making you uncomfortable in today’s shoot… I don’t know how to make it up to you.”

            “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Clarke told him.

            “Maybe it would help if I knew something about you?” he hinted.

            “What kind of things do you want to know?” Clarke asked. Bellamy looked up at the sky while he thought of something.

            “What’s your star sign?” he wondered. Clarke laughed.

            “Seriously?” she asked. Bellamy nodded. “Capricorn. You?”

            “Taurus,” he answered.

            “Okay now ask me a serious question,” Clarke told him.

            “Okay, okay. Tell me about your family,” he requested.

            “Uhh, alright,” Clarke said hesitantly. “I don’t have any siblings so my mom is pretty much my best friend.”

            “And your dad?” Bellamy prompted. Clarke took a deep breath, not really sure if this was the right time to tell him about her dad.

            “Passed away,” she said quickly, trying not to make too much of a deal out of it. “But my mom just recently remarried so I guess I have a stepdad now.”

            “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” Bellamy said sympathetically.

            “It’s fine,” Clarke replied. “It happened, I’m moving on. What about your family? Any siblings?”

            “A younger sister, Octavia,” he told her. “Both our parents died when she was little so I pretty much raised her.”

            Clarke was speechless. “I’m sorry I don’t even know…”

            “It’s okay,” Bellamy assured her. Clarke gently put her hand over his and squeezed it. Bellamy smiled up at her and she returned the gesture.

            It was weird to her how easy it was for her to trust Bellamy, and she was certain she would regret it later. She’d only known him for a week and already she’d told him about her father. At least he returned the favour. Then again, she had no idea what was real and what was fake in this show.

            At the end of the night it came to the rose ceremony, and Clarke was one of the first ones to receive a rose again. So was Raven, thankfully. It came to the last rose and there were four girls remaining, including Roma. But Clarke didn’t care if she stayed or not tonight.

Bellamy picked up the last rose and looked up at the last four girls. “Roma,” he announced. Roma breathed a sigh of relief, tears falling from her eyes, and stepped up to Bellamy to accept the rose. “Roma, will you accept this rose?”

“Yes of course!” she exclaimed, a little too loudly. She threw her arms around Bellamy before joining the other girls.

“Unfortunately this means that Bree, Celeste and Trina, you’ll be going home tonight,” Cage announced. “Please say your goodbyes.”

The three girls going home gave everyone a hug before heading out of the mansion. Clarke decided to go straight to bed. She wasn’t feeling up to forced conversations, and she desperately needed some alone time after the deep conversation she’d had with Bellamy. She decided to make a promise to herself that she wouldn’t let him in any more, even if it meant her going home. She couldn’t risk getting close to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Now that there were only fourteen girls left in the competition, Clarke found the mansion a lot less claustrophobic than she had the first week, however there was still that pressure the keep the act up as camera’s were on them almost always. It didn’t help that she was constantly forced to talk to the camera one-on-one and describe what had been happening as if the viewers would be too stupid to figure it out just by watching.

Another week went by and Clarke hadn’t been invited on the group date or the single date, which she didn’t mind, but neither had Raven and she was freaking out.

“You had a lot of one-on-one time with him in your photo shoot last week,” Clarke reminded her while Keenan was on the single date, trying to keep her calm. “He’s just trying to give everyone some attention so he can sort out the girls he doesn’t have a connection with from the girls he does have one with.”

“I know,” Raven breathed. “But being on that date would keep me away from the rest of these girls. This morning Roma told me I looked gross when I’d just gotten out of bed.”

“Roma’s just trying to make everyone lose any confidence they have to make herself feel better,” Clarke pointed out.

“I know, but I’ve never gotten along well with girls,” Raven said. Clarke already knew this but it was proven by the fact that she spent most of her time talking to the camera guy named Wick than she did talking to the other girls (which Clarke thought would have been against the rules but Wick’s boss never seemed to mention it.) “I honestly don’t know why you stuck around long enough for us to be this close.”

Clarke laughed. “You did almost scare me away early on,” she told her. Raven gave her a weak smile.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep up with the cattiness and the pretending to be excited for other girl’s dates.” Not to mention the staged conversations, but Clarke was sure Raven didn’t mention that since this conversation was being filmed.

“Okay girls, that’s all we need from that,” the director told them. “If you could move into the lounge area with the other girls, Keenan will be coming back from her date any moment now so just wait for us to set up.”

Raven and Clarke did as they were told, joining in on the small talk the other girls had already started, then when they were told to they began talking about what Keenan might have done on her date. She walked into the lounge and everyone feigned excitement.

“Tell us everything!” Harper demanded. Keenan grinned and took a seat on a foot stool at the front of the room where everyone could see her.

“Well I met Bellamy out the front of a beautiful botanical garden and we started out just walking around the garden looking at the flowers and telling each other about ourselves,” Keenan began. “Then we sat down at a picnic he’d set up for us where we drank champagne and ate mini quiches and chocolate covered strawberries and oh my god it was so beautiful and so romantic.”

“So where’s your rose?” Roma immediately wondered, giving a fake pout.

“Oh, um, I didn’t get one,” Keenan told them all a little sheepishly.

“Probably because he didn’t feel the same connection you did,” Roma told her in a condescending voice.

“Back off Roma, at least she’s had a single date which is more than I can say for you,” Raven pointed out aggressively.

“I haven’t seen your name on a single date card either yet, so...” Roma said with a little shrug at the end of her sentence.

“Okay but there have only been two single dates, so really-,” Clarke tried to intervene.

“Keenan may not have gotten a rose on this date but if I remember correctly, you’ve been the last called at every rose ceremony so far so if you think you’re going to be here much longer, you’ve got another think coming,” Raven snapped.

“Raven-,” Clarke tried again.

“No, Clarke,” Raven interrupted. “This is exactly the kind of thing I’m sick of. I don’t care if I don’t end up with Bellamy anymore as long as she doesn’t.”

With that, Raven stormed out of the room shaking with anger. The rest of the girls sat there awkwardly, not quite sure if they should follow Raven or keep to themselves.

“So what happened after the picnic?” Fox’s quiet little voice asked Keenan, breaking the silence.

* * *

 

The next night at the cocktail party, things were tense. Roma was still forcing herself into other people’s conversations despite knowing she was unwanted, (Clarke assumed she’d been instructed to continue causing drama), and Raven was sitting alone, gripping her glass tightly and grinding her teeth. Clarke wanted to talk to her but was kind of scared. She thought Raven had made a much bigger deal out of yesterday’s conflict than was necessary, but she wasn’t about to say so.

Instead, Clarke was standing with Monroe, Harper, Fox and Anya with the cameras surrounding them as they talked about what had happened yesterday.

“Is all this drama really worth it?” Monroe wondered. “I mean, Bellamy’s hot but I can’t stand all of the bitching that happens.”

“It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for Roma,” Harper said, rolling her eyes.

“We should start a pool,” Anya decided. “Everyone put in five bucks and the week they think Roma will go home and whoever guesses right wins.”

“I’ll put in for this week,” Clarke said, downing her drink.

“Damn,” Harper cursed. “Fine, then I call dibs on next week.”

“I don’t really think we should,” Fox told them. “I get that we don’t get along with her but this is really mean.”

“Great,” Anya said, putting her hand on Fox’s shoulder. “Then you can hold the money while the bet’s going.”

“I need another drink,” Clarke announced, holding up her empty glass. “I’ll be right back.” She headed inside to the bar to grab another glass of champagne and was about to go back outside when she was stopped by Bellamy.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a smile. “Have you missed me?”

“That depends,” Clarke replied. “Have you missed me?”

“Of course!” Bellamy told her. “If I didn’t have to give everyone a go you would’ve been on every date I’ve had so far.”

“Well if that’s how you feel you should just propose right now and this show can be over,” Clarke teased. Bellamy laughed.

“If only that were an option,” he smirked. “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?”

Clarke grimaced. “You know I wish I could but I have to wash my hair,” she joked. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Oh, um, I can come back later if you…” he trailed off.

“Bellamy,” Clarke said. He looked up at her. “I’m kidding. Let’s go.”

Bellamy grinned. “Great, we can stroll around the garden and walk and talk,” he suggested, holding his arm out for her.

“Sounds perfect,” Clarke decided, taking his arm. They walked in silence for a moment before Clarke began talking. “You know, it’s weird,” she began. “I feel like I’ve been here a lot longer than just three weeks.”

“I know what you mean,” Bellamy agreed. “I mean there are some girls I hardly know at all but then there are others who it feels like I’ve known my whole life. Like you.”

Clarke blushed but tried to hide it. It’s not like she really had feelings for Bellamy, she just liked having him pay attention to her, and that was definitely not the same thing.

“Come on, we’ve hardly had anything to do with each other,” Clarke pointed out. “If I hadn’t almost died the first time we met you wouldn’t even notice me and I’d have gone home that night.”

“That is not true!” Bellamy denied. “The first time I saw you, before you tripped and I had to catch you, I was already thinking about how I would have to seek you out that night to talk to you early on.”

Clarke raised an eyebrow sceptically. “Why?” she wondered. She was sure he’d been told to say something disgustingly romantic for the cameras.

Bellamy chuckled. “Because I thought you were smoking hot and I had to seduce you,” he told her with a nudge.

“You’re kidding,” Clarke laughed. “When I saw you for the first time I thought ‘That guy is probably a huge player and I should just go home right now instead of wasting my time.’”

“It’s because I’m so ruggedly handsome isn’t it?” he asked, showing Clarke his smoulder. “And you were about to turn around but your heel got caught in the bricks and you stumbled into my arms, which is when you realised you were already in love with me.”

Clarke tried to hide her smile as she rolled her eyes. “Wow, you got me. I’m so madly in love with you that if you send me home there’s no way I’m actually going to leave. I’ll hang out in the attic to avoid the producers if I have to,” she told him sarcastically, folding her arms and stopping to look up at him with disapproval.

“That’s enough sass out of you.” He swiftly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She squealed at the sudden movement but started laughing as his hand was on the small of her back.

“Okay put me down,” she giggled.

“Do you promise to stop being a jerk?” he asked with a grin.

“I promise!” she agreed, still laughing. He gently lowered her so that her feet were on the ground, his face inches from hers. They were both still smiling and breathing heavily from the laughter. Bellamy brushed a piece of hair from Clarke’s face and lightly stroked her cheek with his thumb. He looked at her like he was going to kiss her, and Clarke didn’t want to take that chance so she cleared her throat and looked away.

“I should get back to the girls,” she whispered, and with that she hurried away.

* * *

 

“Bellamy has twelve roses next to him tonight,” Cage was saying at the rose ceremony after the cocktail party. “Which means that the two of you who do not receive a rose will be going home.” He turned to Bellamy and nodded at him to start calling names.

“Mel,” Bellamy began. Mel walked up and accepted her rose before standing away from the other girls. Clarke felt nervous for some reason. Maybe he wouldn’t give her a rose because she didn’t kiss him. Then again, why did she care? She was sick of being there. She wasn’t particularly attached to any of the other girls and she wasn’t there for Bellamy.

“Anya,” Bellamy continued. Anya walked up to Bellamy. “Will you accept this rose?”

“Yes, thank you,” Anya said, and she went to stand with the other girls whose names had already been called. There were five girls left standing around Clarke and her heart was racing but she still had no idea why.

Fox’s name was called, and then Monroe.

“Clarke,” Bellamy called finally. Clarke let out an involuntary sigh of relief. She walked up to him with a smile. “Will you accept this rose?”

“Yeah,” she said, taking the rose. “You waited long enough.”

“I’m trying to play hard to get,” Bellamy told her with a wink. Clarke rolled her eyes and shook her head as she joined the others. Bellamy picked up the final rose and looked at the three remaining girls; Keenan, Roma, and a girl named Sienna. Clarke held her breath and looked at Harper who was biting her lip. She noticed Clarke looking at her and crossed her fingers. Clarke wasn’t sure if that meant she hoped Roma was staying another week so she could win the bet or if she just wanted her gone.

“Roma,” Bellamy called. Harper smirked at Clarke and put her thumbs up. Clarke stuck her tongue out playfully in return. Roma gratefully accepted her rose and joined the rest of them, grinning smugly.

“Keenan, Sienna, you did not get a rose,” Cage told them. “Please say your goodbyes and leave the mansion.”

The two girls did as they were told, and as soon as they were gone Harper turned to Clarke. “So I guess this means I win,” she said.

“The bet’s not over yet,” Clarke reminded her.

“Yeah, she could last another week,” Anya added, fingers crossed. Harper laughed.

“Whatever, I bet this time next week Fox will be handing me that money,” she told them. “Goodnight ladies!”


	4. Chapter 4

Clarke wanted nothing more than to sleep in until midday the day after the cocktail party. She was already so sick of all the drama on this show, and she’d only been there for three weeks. Not to mention she had no doubt that the further she got the more dramatic it would be.

Sadly, since it was a date day, she had to be up early to hear who would be going on the next date with Bellamy. They all gathered in the kitchen, surrounded by cameras as Cage walked in.

“Good morning ladies!” Cage greeted them.

“Hi Cage,” they all chanted back.

“Are you all ready for your next date card?” he asked them, holding up the envelope like he was selling it.

“Yes!” all the girls said excitedly. Cage put the card on the table and left the room. Roma was the one to pick up the card.

“Do we think it’s a single date or a group date?” she asked the others.

“Definitely group,” Monroe replied. Roma took the card out of the envelope and cleared her throat.

“The clue is: Rise and shine,” she read.

“Ooh maybe a hot air balloon ride!” Fox speculated.

“Or a bed and breakfast,” Anya said with a smirk. The girls laughed.

“And the girl going on this date is…” Roma continued, pausing for dramatic effect. “Raven!”

“Hell yes,” Raven exclaimed with a fist pump. “Clarke, come and help me choose something to wear.” Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Clarke’s hand and dragged her upstairs to her room.

“I’d suggest a cute summer dress or maybe some nice shorts and a blouse…” Clarke began, opening Raven’s wardrobe.

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Raven told her, sitting on her bed and making sure her microphone was off. “I already know what I want to wear. I just wanted to talk without the other girls or cameras listening in.”

“Oh,” Clarke replied, a little confused. She sat down next to Raven. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I’ve been thinking about the whole reason you’re here, and I mean, if you want to go you can,” Raven said. “Bellamy and I get along really well, and I think that I could really make it all the way to the end. I know how reluctant you were to come here in the first place so you know, if you want to leave you totally can.”

“Huh,” Clarke said. She wasn’t really sure how to take this. “What would you do during the day? You hate all of the other girls.”

“That’s what Wick is for,” Raven told her like it was obvious.

“He’s only here three days a week, you would go insane,” Clarke pointed out.

“What’s the big deal? It’s not like you actually have any feelings for Bellamy,” Raven said. “I know because your conversations last like, a second before you hurry away from him.”

“Yeah well it’s like what Anya said, it’s better for him to send home the girls he really doesn’t like before the ones who don’t like him. You know, like Roma,” Clarke argued. Raven’s jaw dropped and it looked like everything was starting to make sense to her.

“Oh my god, you like him!” Raven accused her, standing up. “I knew it! You actually like the Bachelor.”

“I do not,” Clarke denied. “I just don’t know why you want me gone so badly.”

“Because I know you’re his pet favourite right now and it would make things a lot easier if you just left,” Raven said, raising her voice.

“Last I checked, you were the one who was going on a single date with him, not me,” Clarke reminded her.

“Yeah because he’s already decided you’re making it to the final four,” Raven argued.

“How could he possibly know that? You said yourself we hardly spend any time together,” Clarke said. “I don’t have to sit here and take this from you. I’m going to go talk to someone who doesn’t attack me for every little interaction I have with Bellamy.”

Raven scowled as Clarke stormed out of the room, fists clenched.

* * *

 

“It should be me on that date,” Roma huffed as the girls all sat in the lounge awaiting Raven’s return. No one replied, but there were a couple of eye-rolls and annoyed sighs.

“She should be back soon, right?” Fox asked. “She’s been gone for hours.”

“Well if it’s a bed and breakfast like Anya thought they might not be coming back until tomorrow,” Monroe laughed and the others joined in, even though they knew that wasn’t the case because the whole exchange was staged and there were cameras everywhere.

Raven walked through the door with her hands behind her back and a grin on her face. The others squealed in excitement when they saw her enter.

“Hello ladies, look what I have,” Raven announced, revealing the red rose that she had been hiding.

“That’s so exciting!” Fox exclaimed.

“Tell us every juicy detail,” Harper demanded. Raven sighed happily before beginning.

“Okay so I arrived at this big field where Bellamy was standing in front of a hot air balloon,” she explained. “He looked so hot I kind of just wanted to jump on him and make out right then and there. Somehow I managed to control myself.” She laughed and the others joined in hesitantly. Saying things like that was kind of awkward in this situation since they were all essentially dating the same person.

“So anyway we got in the hot air balloon and floated around the city and drank champagne which was really beautiful and it was so romantic,” Raven continued. “Then when we were back on the ground he took me to a vineyard where we walked around talking and eating grapes, and he led me to this adorable picnic he’d set up. We drank some more wine and then he gave me a rose and we totally made out.” She smirked as she said the last part and jaws dropped. There was some awkward laughter and Raven looked around smugly at their shocked faces. Clarke just rolled her eyes.

The conversation continued for a little bit longer as Echo pressed Raven for details, but finally the camera crew decided they’d got what they needed and everyone dispersed to do their own thing. Clarke pulled Raven aside.

“I hope you’re ready to apologise,” Clarke demanded.

“No, why would I do that?” Raven wondered.

“I don’t know, maybe because of all the accusations you made before you left,” Clarke explained obviously. “You got the first kiss. You win the Bachelor.”

Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I stand by what I said, Clarke,” she told her. “I was the one who initiated the kiss, and him kissing me back just means he isn’t ready for me to leave yet. If it was you on the date I bet he would’ve initiated it.”

“Okay, except that I wasn’t the one on the date so what does that tell you?” Clarke reminded her.

“It doesn’t really tell me anything,” Raven said with a shrug. “Look Clarke, I’ve watched every season of this show. The girl who wins isn’t always the one who got the first kiss, the first rose, or the first single date.” She didn’t give Clarke a chance to reply before she joined some of the other girls outside.

Clarke stood there dumbfounded. After the whole Finn ordeal where they’d both been dating the same person but didn’t know it, they’d promised never to let a guy get between them again. And yet here Raven had led them right into that situation again – on purpose. It was a little too much for Clarke to handle and she needed to be alone.

She was heading up to her bedroom and was halfway up the stairs when she noticed Wick looking around the hall like a lost puppy.

“Can I help you?” she asked, incredibly confused. “I thought you were done filming for the day.”

Wick looked up at her, startled. “Clarke, hey,” he greeted her. “Have you seen Raven? I need to… talk to her. About something.”

Clarke raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “What about?” she queried.

“Uh, just about… Something she did… On her date. Which I filmed,” he told her hurriedly. “So have you seen her?”

“She’s outside by the pool,” Clarke informed him. “I hope you don’t get fired for this.”

Wick nodded at her thankfully before hurrying outside, and Clarke couldn’t help but chuckle at the poor guy, chasing after a girl he had no chance with.

* * *

 

Clarke arrived to her group date at the beach two days later with Monroe, Fox, Tris, Emori, Echo and, to Clarke’s dismay, Roma.

She would have been perfectly happy to stay at home that day away from the Bachelor and away from Roma, and she had made a point of mentioning this to Raven who had just rolled her eyes and muttered something about how Clarke would probably put up with someone twice as annoying as Roma if it meant being near Bellamy. After that comment Clarke thought that it was better Roma than Raven.

The girls were all thrilled to see a shirtless Bellamy meet them by the water but, not wanting to seem desperate, they all tried to play it cool. Even Clarke had to admit he had a great body and she could understand the subtle giggling that was going on between Tris and Fox.

“Hey girls!” Bellamy greeted them. “Are you ready for some fun?”

There were excited shouts of ‘hell yeah’ and ‘of course’ from all of the girls followed by an eye roll from Clarke who was getting sick of pretending to be excited by everything for the sake of ‘good television’.

“I’ve got a game set up, so everyone get into pairs and I’ll explain it,” Bellamy told them. They all paired up and Clarke somehow managed to be on Bellamy’s team, causing the other girls, particularly Roma, to give her dirty looks. “Okay, there’s a rope attached to two poles in the water. One team member runs around the rope then back to the sand and tags their partner who will do the same. First team to have both people back at the starting line wins!”

“I call dibs on being first,” Clarke told Bellamy. She kind of thought the game was lame but she was still incredibly competitive and wanted to win.

“Sounds good to me,” Bellamy agreed. He turned to the other girls. “On your mark, get set… Go!”

They all raced off to the water, Emori leading and causing her partner Roma to squeal excitedly, which was even more annoying than when she was talking. Clarke somehow managed to overtake her just as Tris and Fox tripped over each other. It didn’t look like they were in too much trouble so Clarke kept going without bothering to help them up.

Clarke hurried out of the water and up to the start line where she slapped Bellamy’s hand and he began running towards the water only seconds before Roma. For a second it looked like she might overtake him, but as he started to run up the sand towards Clarke it was pretty clear they’d won. As Bellamy crossed the finish line, Clarke forgot all about her rule to stay away from him and in the heat of the moment jumped into his arms, lifting both her feet off the ground. He was a bit surprised at first but quickly wrapped his arms around her happily. With their bare skin touching and Bellamy’s firm chest pressed against hers, Clarke felt involuntarily tingly all through her body.

She quickly put her feet back on the ground and Bellamy let her go. Clarke gave him a sheepish smile and he smiled back, the confusion showing on his face.

“Hey, Clarke, can I talk to you for a second?” he asked her as the other girls grabbed sodas and snacks from the cooler that had been supplied. Clarke looked over at them, a little unsure, before turning back to Bellamy with a smile.

“Yeah, sure,” she decided. He led her over to some rock pools far enough from the other girls to have a private conversation. They sat down on a large rock on the sand and Bellamy got straight to the point.

“Have I done something to upset you?” he wondered. Clarke looked at him, taken aback.

“No, what makes you say that?” she answered truthfully.

“Every time we spend time together, it seems like we’re getting along really well,” he explained. “But then it’s like you get scared off and you have to hurry away somewhere. If you aren’t interested in me I’d rather you tell me now.”

Clarke nodded her head in understanding, almost laughing.

“Raven said the same thing to me the other morning,” she told him. “But that’s not it at all. I know we haven’t known each other that long but I like you well enough.”

“Okay…” Bellamy said hesitantly, still confused. “Then why do you keep running away from me?”

Clarke took a deep breath, knowing she was going to have to lie. “The thing is… I’ve been hurt before.” Not a complete lie, but not the real reason. “And it’s hard being here knowing you could be interested in all of these women and you could have a great bond with some of them and I would have no idea. Then if I get too close to you and don’t win, then what? I just go about my daily life like none of this happened? Like we never shared intimate moments together?”

Bellamy nodded in understanding and remained silent for a moment as he processed what Clarke had said. While she waited for his response she began to wonder if maybe more of it was true than she thought. Maybe being here wasn’t all about Raven after all. Maybe a part of her had come here for herself, and now she was chickening out because she liked Bellamy more than she expected to.

“I can understand why you’re scared,” Bellamy finally said. “And I don’t know how I can make you feel more secure because everything you just said makes complete sense. But I can honestly tell you that out of all the women in this competition, you’re the only one I had an instant connection with. And I really want to get to know you better, to know if maybe you are the one I’m supposed to be with. But I can’t do that if you completely close up on me.”

Clarke sighed. “You want me to be more vulnerable?” she asked. Bellamy shrugged.

“I’m not asking you to tell me all of your secrets,” he reasoned. “I just hope that you can be open to the idea of really talking to me. Even if it’s just as a friend and not a potential husband.”

Clarke smiled up at him. “Okay, I can do that.”

* * *

 

The cocktail party that week was rather uneventful. As usual, Bellamy took a few girls aside to talk to them and everyone else small-talked and drank for most of the night.

They were all relieved when the rose ceremony came around and they would all be able to go to bed straight after. Except, of course, for the one girl who went home.

“As you can see, Raven has already received a rose, meaning she will not be going home tonight,” Cage was saying. “Unfortunately one of the rest of you will be leaving. Bellamy.”

Bellamy stepped forward and picked up the first rose. “Clarke,” he said. Clarke couldn’t help but smile as she walked towards him. “Will you accept this rose?”

“Yes, thank you,” she replied before going to stand with Raven.

“Echo,” Bellamy went on. Echo accepted her rose and took her place next to Clarke. Bellamy continued to call out the names until it was only Tris and Roma remaining.

“This could be your night,” Anya whispered to Harper, who was trying hard to keep her composure, despite the fact that she was incredibly excited that Roma would be going home. That was until…

“Roma,” Bellamy called. Everyone’s mouth dropped. Tris started to cry. The camera’s were zooming in for good reaction shots. Roma accepted her rose with a kiss on the cheek and a smug smile.

“Tris, unfortunately you did not receive a rose,” Cage informed her. “Please take a moment to say your goodbyes before leaving the mansion.

Tris didn’t bother to say individual goodbyes to any of the girls. She was already crying enough as it was. Instead she just gave Bellamy a hug and waved the others goodbye before leaving.

“Next week might be our week!” Anya said to Harper, Clarke and Monroe.

“I personally hope she stays in just a week longer,” Monroe countered. Clarke laughed.

“You’re only saying that because that’s your week,” she said. Monroe shrugged unapologetically.

“If it means being $15 richer I don’t mind having to put up with her for a bit longer,” she told them.

“Yeah well don’t be so sure,” Anya said. “I’ve got a feeling I’ll be the one winning all your money.”

“I don’t really care since I’m already out of the bet,” Harper said. “I just want her gone.”

Clarke sighed. “Don’t we all.”


End file.
